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The Landover Baptist Church is a fictional[1] Baptist church based in the fictional town of Freehold, Iowa. The Landover Baptist web site and its associated Landoverbaptist.net Forum are a satire of fundamentalist Christianity and the Religious Right in the United States.
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Contents
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Origin
The site was created by Chris Harper, who obtained his Master's Degree in English Literature from George Mason University in 1993 after being expelled from Liberty University (founded by Jerry Falwell) in 1989 for producing a satirical radio show which Liberty's administration found offensive.[2] Harper frequently appears at atheist conventions playing the character of "Pastor Deacon Fred Smith". The website is owned by a company called Americhrist, Ltd.
Description
The fictional Landover Baptist Church is a parody of fundamentalist, Independent Baptist churches and Biblical literalism.
The fictitious church grants all authority to its Pastor, previously Ben Ebeneezer Smith, then upon his death to his brother Deacon Fred Smith, and as of June 2010 Pastor Harry Harkwell resulting from a "coup", in accordance with its spurious interpretation of Romans 13. However, Deacon Fred was "restored" to his Pastor position after a "reconciliation" during Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally. The church has an elaborate fine system inspired by Jerry Falwell's system at Liberty University.[3]
The church supposedly owns well over 1,000 acres (400 ha) in Freehold. The church claims to have twenty-eight paid pastors, 412 full time staff members, eleven fully equipped chapels, seven sanctuaries, a 100,000 seat amphitheater, twelve television studios, two radio stations, an academy, a university, two gated communities, twenty-seven developments, three office parks, as well as a shopping mall, amusement park, golf course, retirement community, foundation, fire and police department, circus camp, resort center, retreat center, and a number of fitness centers, swimming pools, hot springs, and cemeteries.
Landover claims to have obtained a "permanent injunction" against all "unsaved" persons, prohibiting them from being within ten miles of the Landover property as well as forbidding them to enter Landover's website.
See also
- Betty Bowers, a fictional Landover Baptist member.
- Christwire
- Poe's law
References
- ^ Terms of Service - "The Landover Baptist Church is a complete work of fiction."
- ^ , http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/Chris_Harper_(1075446).html, retrieved 2011-10-23
- ^ Rowland Croucher and others (May 1, 2006), Landover Baptist Church, http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/17318.htm, retrieved October 8, 2011
External links
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